THOMAS, Peggy IrisGasoline Gypsy or A Dog Is a Girl&#39;s Best Friend New York: Thomas Y. Crowell Company. (1953). First. First edition. A small bookstore label and contemporary ink date, both on the front fly, a faint spot on the top edge, near fine in an attractive, very good or better dustwrapper with some considerable foxing. Memoir of an English-born woman who served in the British armed services during the war and then spent a year and a half traveling 14,000 miles around North America by motorcycle with her dog, a large Airedale, stopping occasionally to recoup her finances with casual labor, including apple-picking and factory work. While this memoir is essentially lighthearted in tone (and presumably would have to be in order to attract a mainstream publisher), Thomas&#39;s wanderlust is related to the on-the-road mentality that motivated the Beat generation, and similarly to the experiences of returned U.S. servicemen whose disaffection and dislocation in society eventually evolved into the development of the outlaw biker culture. Exceptionally uncommon, especially in this condition. .

Philby, H. Stj. BARABIAN JUBILEE New York: John Day Company. Very Good+ in Very Good dust jacket. 1953. First American Edition. Hardcover. DJ yellowed and with very light foxing. Endpapers yellowed. A very handsome and tight copy; Extremely rare. Numerous illustrations from b&w photographs; 8vo; 280 pages .

Bowden, B.V., ed.Faster Than Thought: A Symposium on Digital Computing Machines Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., London 1953 - [very light soiling to bottom edges of covers, slight bumping to bottom corners; jacket spine a bit browned, light wear at corners]. (B&W photographs, diagrams) Very attractive copy of this important early "state of the technology" symposium about computers, in which "the contributions of twenty-four well-known experts have been brought together to give a clear account of modern digital computing machines, their history, theory and design, and their application to industry, commerce and scientific research." The editor, later Baron Bowden, as a noted English scientist, and quite prescient about the future impact of computer technology. (It's worth nothing that there is only one American listed among the contributing experts, Mr. R. Stuart-Williams of RCA Laboratories in Princeton, N.J. My favorite name among the contributors: Miss Cicely M. Popplewell, Royal Society Computing Laboratory, Manchester University.) Chapter 25, written by Dr. A.M. Turing (often referred to as "the father of computer science and artificial intelligence) is entitled "Digital Computers Applied to Games," in which it's discussed "how a digital computer can be made to play chess -- it does so rather badly, and how it plays draughts [checkers] -- it does so quite well." Also described in the chapter is Nimrod, "a special simple machine which was built to entertain the public during the [1951] Festival of Britain," and notable in computing history as having been the first digital computer designed exclusively to play a game (in this case Nim, a mathemetical game of strategy). Stamped on both endpapers: Technical Library; Property of Leach Corporation, 5915 S. Avalon Blvd., Los Angeles 3, California. NOISBN [Attributes: First Edition; Hard Cover]

Bradbury, RayThe Golden Apples of the Sun Doubleday & Company, Inc. 1953 - Published in New York by Doubleday & Company, Inc. in 1953. "FIRST EDITION" is stated on bottom half of copyright page. SIGNED by the author on the half title page. Book near fine except for very minor wear at ends of spine, discoloration on front and back paste-downs and front and back free endpapers, previous owner's Peanuts cartoon laid-in between pages 92 and 93 which has discolored those pages. DJ very good, spine sun-faded, mild water damage along bottom edge, vertical crease down spine, small hole in rare flap hinge, minor wear at ends of spine, horizontal crease along bottom of rear, .5" tear on bottom of front, flap corners clipped, and entire reverse of DJ discolored. DJ flap price reads ¿$3.00." Comes in specially made custom cloth slipcase. We will provide a certificate of authenticity for this item. [Attributes: First Edition; Signed Copy; Hard Cover]

Bester, AlfredTHE DEMOLISHED MAN Chicago: Shasta Publishers,. [1953]. Octavo,. cloth-backed boards.. A fine copy in fine dust jacket. (#114527). First edition. One of the subscriber&#39;s copies signed by Bester on the front free endpaper. A classic SF novel based on Fyodor Dostoyevsky&#39;s CRIME AND PUNISHMENT (1866) "in which the obsessed villain ultimately fails to avoid detection by a telepathic policeman, but finds the prospect of punitive &#39;demolition&#39; less terrible than its name implies." - Clute and Nicholls (eds), The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction (1993), p. 275. Winner of the 1953 Hugo award for best novel and runner-up for the 1954 International Fantasy Award. Anatomy of Wonder (2004) II-116. Pringle, Science Fiction: The 100 Best Novels 7. Sargent, British and American Utopian Literature, 1516-1985, Additions. Survey of Science Fiction Literature II, pp. 529-32.

BESTER, AlfredThe Demolished Man Chicago: Shasta,, 1953. Octavo. Original reddish-brown boards, blue cloth backstrip, titles to spine gilt and to upper board in white, top edge dyed black. With the dust jacket. Small crease to upper board at head of spine. An excellent copy in the pure white dust jacket with no rubbing or tanning. First edition, first impression. A superb copy, the nicest we have seen.

Gonzalez, Joaquin V. Carmen Portela, Maria, ilus.La Selva de los Reptiles. Sociedad de Bibliofilos Argentinos, Buenos Aires 1953 - 36 pp. 4to. Loose quires in glassine covered printed wrappers within a portfolio in slip case. Illus. with 4 b/w plates. No. 6 of 88 numbered copies (of a run of 100). Printed with Garamond types and specially drawn initials on Charter Eggshell paper. Composition directed by Dr. Eduardo J. Bullrich, the President of the Argentine Society of Bibliophiles,who completed this work shortly before his death. The drypoint illustrations by the artist, sculpture, and printer, Maria Carmen Portela (1898-1984) were printed by Raul Veroni. Joaquín Víctor González (1863-1923) studied law at the University of Cordoba, was Congressman, Senator, Governor of La Rioja, Minister of Interior, Minister of Justice and Public Instruction. He founded the University of La Plata. As a writer, his most famous book is "My Mountains. As a lawyer published the" Manual of the Constitution Argentina." Colombo Fine Printing 219. El Art del Libro 115. A fine copy in a very good portfolio with tears along joints. Cardboard slip case present but in parts. [Attributes: First Edition; Soft Cover]

GRUBB, DavisThe Night of the Hunter New York: Harper & Brothers. (1953). First. First edition. Fine in fine dustwrapper with the slightest of rubbing. Inscribed by the author soon after publication: "Kindest personal regards to my good friend Bob Carlitz, Davis Grubb. March 18, 1954". Basis for the memorable film directed by Charles Laughton and featuring Robert Mitchum, Shelley Winters, Lillian Gish, and magnificent camera work by Stanley Cortez. The script is credited to James Agee, who died a few months after the film was released, but reportedly Laughton, dissatisfied with Agee&#39;s work, rewrote it himself from scratch. Though now considered a classic, upon release the unusual and unique film was a critical and financial failure, and Laughton never directed again. A superb copy. Signed copies of the trade edition are much less common than the publisher signed presentation issue. .

Bester, AlfredThe Demolished Man Shasta 1953 - First Edition, First Printing SIGNED by the author. An attractive dustjacket that is vibrant in color with slight wear to the edges. The book is in nice shape. The binding is tight and the boards are crisp with minor wear to the panels and edges. The pages are clean with NO marks or bookplates in the book. Overall, a wonderful copy SIGNED by the author. We buy Alfred Bester First Editions. [Attributes: First Edition; Signed Copy; Hard Cover]

DUCHAMP, MarcelDada 1916-1923, Sidney Janis, April 15 to May 9, 1953 New York: Sidney Janis,, 1953. Texts by Tristan Tzara, Hans Arp, Richard Huelsenbeck and Jacques-Henry Levesque. Offset lithograph and screenprint exhibition poster/catalogue designed by Duchamp on tissue paper; folded version. Sheet size: 96.8 x 63.3 cm. A very bright copy with crumple marks. Presented in a black wooden frame. Poster/catalogue to accompany the Dada exhibition held at the Sidney Janis Gallery, New York. Duchamp produced the catalogue for the exhibition which was also assembled, curated and installed under his direction. The catalogue was distributed at the exhibition as a ball of crushed tissue. Duchamp also suggested a garbage bin be offered to visitors so that they could crumple up the catalogue and throw it away upon leaving the exhibition, our poster has crease marks suggesting this was the original fate of this piece. Duchamp considers this an original artwork and due to its ephemeral nature is rather uncommon.

Webster, H. AUntitled, pencil on paper, signed n.p, 1953. Image 9-1/2 x 12-1/4 inches; matted and framed. . Fine condition . Herman Armour Webster (1878-1970) was born in New York City and attended Yale, graduating in 1900. He then moved to Paris and studied painting and etching at the Jullien Academy. In 1905 four of his etchings were shown at the Paris Salon, and in 1907 he became an Associate of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers, in London; he subsequently became a member of the Societe National des Beaux Arts in Paris. His work is represented in the collections of the Musee Nationale du Luxenburg, Paris, as well as the Library of Congress, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and the Chicago Art Institute, among others

FREUD, SigmundThe Complete Psychological Works London: The Hogarth Press,, 1953-74. Translated from the German under the General Editorship of James Strachey. In Collaboration with Anna Freud. 24 volumes, octavo. Recent dark green morocco, raised bands to spines, titles and decorative tools to compartments gilt, single frames to boards gilt, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. Photographic frontispiece to each volume. A fine set. An attractively bound complete set of the Hogarth Press&#39;s Standard Edition. This is the most authoritative collection of the psychoanalytical works of Freud, edited by James Strachey, a former student of Freud&#39;s and member of the Bloomsbury Group.

Thomas (Dylan).Two Epigrams of Fealty; together with: Galsworthy and Gawsworth Privately Printed for Members of the Court, "Realm of Redonda", [c.1953] - Each one of 30 numbered copies Single leaf folded to eight pages, 16mo Fine copies. Very rare These three uncollected verses are testaments to Thomas&#146;s "fealty" to John Gawsworth, King Juan I of Redonda, written in a Soho restaurant where Gawsworth was holding court. Thomas was created "Duke of Gweno" (he is so styled on the title-pages) in 1947, being one of the many celebrated artists and writers who were willing to play a part in the Redonda charade. The leaflets were printed after Thomas&#146; death by Gawsworth (the numbering is in his hand) as a memorial tribute. Included is a photocopy of a manuscript by Gawsworth about the poems ("[Thomas&#146;] fealty was far from respectful!"). Not in Rolph.

Landau, Jay / Jacon Landau artist [story by Bates, Harry]Original Science Fiction Illustration By Jay Landau for "Death of a Sensitive", Harry Bates, May, 1953 Issue of "Science Fiction Plus" No Publisher, No Location 1953 - Original illustration, ink on stiff board, by Jay Landau (later, famed painter Jacob Landau) for the sci-fi pulp story "Death of A Sensitive" from the May, 1953 issue of Science Fiction Plus. 9 7/8" x 9" overall size, image size is most of that (scan). Note:layout editor's note at the bottom of the image in scan, which says 7 3/8", refers to the size the image is to be in the printed issue, not the 9" width of this original. This was executed as line art on copper, as were most of Landau's pulp illustrations; this is this black and white for reproduction in that May issue. Annotation on front (see scan), also annotations on reverse. Former paste foxing from layout process one the reverse;none on front. Image itself is fine, as used by the publisher. Used to illustrate the Harry Bates story, "Death of a Sensitive" -a story deemed by Hugo Gernsback's editor, Sam Moskowitz, to be the best he ever published in the magazine (Bates was the author of, in Astounding Science Fiction in 1940, "Farewell to the Master", which later became the basis for the classic sci-fi film, "The Day the Earth Stood Still"). A moody illustration by Landau, who, as the pulp illustrator he was at that time, is hard to find on the original sci-fi art market. Though he loved science fiction and did a fair amount of early magazine illustration, he later was able to concentrate solely on the stylish, impactful, often socially conscious and always psychologically disturbing mainstream painting which was his first love and for which he later gained famed. His early professional work for publications was done as Jay Landau or J. Landau (often signed only "Landau"), but the later work was, of course, by "Jacob Landau". Landau died in November, 2001, at age of 85. The intimidating, moody nature of this illustration is, to a degree, in keeping with that later painting style. The May issue of Science Fiction Plus is not itself included here; scan shown with this listing for reference. Llng1 [Attributes: First Edition; Signed Copy; Soft Cover]

Baldwin, JamesGo Tell It on the Mountain New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 1953. 8vo, (12), 303, (1, colophon)pp. Original color-printed wrappers, lower cover plain, backstrip faded, a few leaves creased in the outer edge, a remarkably good copy of this fragile survival. First edition, Advance Reading Copy in wrappers. Baldwin&#39;s first book, a semi-autobiographical novel. The book examines the role of the Christian Church in the lives of African-Americans, both as a source of repression and moral hypocrisy and as a source of inspiration and community. It also, more subtly, examines racism in the United States. Ã’Upon publication it was immediately hailed as a major treatment of black life in America and established Baldwin as the leading black novelist of his generation. Baldwin&#39;s objections to the art that appeared on this advance issue (he felt it too stereotypical) resulted in a different dustwrapper appearing when the first edition was released. A highly desirable cornerstone of any African-American literature collection. A Modern Library and Radcliffe book of the century.Ã“ (BTC 2011). It also subtly touches on gay and bisexual themes that would be more prominent in his later works.

HUNT, Brigadier Sir JohnThe Ascent of Everest London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1953., 1953. FIRST EDITION, SIGNED by the Author on to title page, and with a very friendly typed card: &#39;Colonel John Hunt CBE DSO / Weir Cottage / Knighton Radnor Wales / 15 Feb 53&#39; to &#39;Dear Eileen&#39;..., signed &#39;John&#39;. Addressed to Miss Eileen Bickford, Slight Cottage, East Cottingworth, York. Publisher&#39;s bright blue cloth, gilt titles to spine, top edge tinted; in its original dust wrapper frayed to extremities, chipped at corners. A beautiful copy of this account of one of the most famous feats in mountain climbing.

Johns, Captain W. E. [William Earle] 1893-1968Sky Fever and Other Stories Published by Latimer House Ltd., 33 Ludgate Hill, London First Edition . 1953. - First edition hard back binding in publisher's original aqua blue cloth covers, black lettering to spine. 8vo 7½'' x 5¼'' 174 pp. Fine condition book in very near Fine condition dust wrapper with very light rubbing across foot of lower panel, not price clipped 7/6, spine not faded. Dust wrapper supplied in archive acetate film protection, this is not adhered to the book or to the dust wrapper and can easily be removed should you so wish. Member of the P.B.F.A. JOHNS, Captain W. E. [Attributes: First Edition; Hard Cover]

C. S. Kipping [editor]Problemist: Proceedings of the British Chess Problem Society, The British Chess Problem Society, Sutton Coldfield 1953 - [298]-612 pages with diagrams, illustrations, plates and tables. Royal octavo (9 3/4" x 7 1/4") issued original green cloth with gilt lettering. Volume 4, numbers 1 thru 36 (Betts: 42-5) 1st edition. The Problemist started with volume 1 January 1926 and published bi-monthly. It originally had the subtitle Proceedings of the British Chess Problem Society but the words Proceedings of were dropped in January 1985. The foreword to the first issued, written by the editor T R Dawson, begins: "This little journal, bring Happy New Year Greetings to every member of the BCPS, will be to most of you a surprise calling for explanation. It origin lies in the desire to have a medium in which the Society, as a collection of units and as a unity, may give expression to its thought and life. Following a suggestion from Mr F. F. L. Alexander, at the last annual general meeting, I obtained quotations for printing this periodical which enabled me to formulate a practical scheme for its continuance within the limits of our income. The scheme was unanimously adopted at a special meeting on Nov. 27th last, with Mr B. G. Laws in the chair and I accepted the meeting's invitation to edit these pages. Our title is a happy suggestion from Mr C. D. Locock." T. R. Dawson continued as editor of The Problemist until May 1931 when he resigned to devote more time to The Problemist Fairy Chess Supplement which he had begun in August 1930 (in 1936 it was renamed The Fairy Chess Review). The post of editor of The Problemist was taken on by C. S. Kipping who held the position until his death in 1963. Subsequent editors have been John Ling, Colin Vaughan from March 1972, Paul Valois from May 1985 and John Rice from March 1999. All these general editors have been assisted by a team of section editors devoted to specific topics. The Problemist continues to be devoted essentially to orthodox chess problems, including regular columns on endgames, selfmates and helpmates using the orthodox chess pieces. A fairy chess column was reintroduced by A. S. M. Dickins in march 1968. In January 1997, as a result of modern computer production methods, the page-size of the magazine was reduced from the traditional quarto size to A5, though with more pages. Although the magazine is published by the British Chess Problem Society, membership of the Society is open to people throughout the world, and this is reflected in the names of the contributors of problem compositions and articles. Condition: Some occasional marginalia else a very good to fine copy issued without jacket. [Attributes: First Edition; Soft Cover]

BALDWIN, James.GO TELL IT ON THE MOUNTAIN. Knopf, 1953 - FIRST EDITION in dust jacket. The book is about fine. The unclipped dust jacket has some minor wear and small amounts of paper loss at the spine ends; the spine is sunned with the author and title still readable. [Attributes: First Edition; Hard Cover]

Baldwin, JamesGo Tell it on the Mountain Knopf 1953 - First edition 1st printing, Near Fine to Fine book, appears to be unread, with pushed top of spine, one light spot front page edges; in a Very Good jacket with sun fade on spine, tiny chips and small closed tears, light soiling back panel. A very nice copy of Baldwin&#146;s classic first novel. [Attributes: First Edition; Hard Cover]

HALL, Manly P. & Henry L. DrakeThe Basic Ideas of Man: A Program of Study Founded Upon Man&#39;s Heritage of Wisdom Los Angeles: The Philosophical Research Society. 1953-1955. First. First edition. Quarto. Twenty-four separately titled parts bound in full black buckram gilt. Label of a Hollywood, Caliufornia bookbinder front pastedown, very near fine. Manly P. Hall&#39;s own copy bound for him and with his ownership stamp. This volume binds up the first two years of instruction of this correspondence course devoted to spiritual wisdom, Jungian philosophy, mystical experience, and related topics. .